Writing and submitting internship applications

[David Lindberg]

Hello everyone, my name is David. I am currently a data technician student at TEC, which means that a majority of my education, is going to be spent as an intern. Of course then, the question beckons, how on earth would one go about submitting the proper applications?

I've already written a CV, which you can access here: http://undefinedgames.org/CV.pdf
(I mention an attached file in the CV, which can be viewed here: http://undefinedgames.org/DL%20Reccomendation.pdf )

The reason I'm asking, is because I need help on the written application, as there are several aspects to consider:

• - I will not get paid by the state (SU) during my internship periods. This also applies while I am off doing additional courses, which typically runs for 10-week periods. As things are right now, however, I could probably still squeeze in a few hours of work every day, even with studies. If I get ahead in class (which happens at regular intervals), I will also gladly do remote work during the breaks.

• - We have a small period during the introduction courses, where we get a week to do internships in a company, while still getting SU.

• - Officially, my course of education only lasts for 2½ years after the introduction (on 6 months with the aforementioned week along the way). However, I am going to be specializing in programming and software development, extending said period to 5 years.

Here's an overview of what I will be doing in terms of education, for the full 5-year period (written in Danish): http://undefinedgames.org/Oversigt_Data ... 010_13.pdf

• - I live right in the middle of Copenhagen (almost).

• - My primary motivator to intern, is to learn. My current education is not centered on game development, but I have deliberately taken this choice, to work myself closer to becoming a t-shape model employee. This is so that I can be a significant contributor of value, almost regardless of my position.

(illustration from Valve's employee handbook)

What I'm thinking is, should I approach all the applications similarly? The "free week" would be an excellent way to demonstrate my worth to a company. But that's also why I wonder if I should suggest it sparingly. Is there anything you would leave out or include? I'll be writing individual applications for each company.

Any suggestions for companies who might be interested, would also be much appreciated. It's a lot more difficult to get into the smaller companies, when you need to get paid for your work. But I am hoping that my existing skills and what I'll continually learn along my studies, will more than compensate for the expenses.

Thanks in advance
~ Dave

[vonknut]

Initially I think you need to specify whether its a "unpaid internship" or a "lærerplads" (=paid internship, at a predefined but "low" salary).
-as most people probably don't know TEC.

Depending on whether its one or the other, the recommendations will be different.

[DennisJensen]

We are a smal Company. And in my view it going to be hard to find a internship. Most interns work for free, because they are still learning a lot so the company is actually giving them a lot of value just by letting them learn. Both win because we gain knowledge and the company might in the end of the internship get some work done.

Because most internship are unpaid I think you are going to have a hard time. But I would recommend finding a project or a small existing team and developing a small game with them, that's going to be a help that you have some experience.